At the Bethesda pool, Jesus asked the invalid man, "Do you want to be made well?"
7 The sick man answered Him, 'Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me."
8 Jesus said to him, "Rise, take up your bed and walk."
9 Immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked. And that day was the Sabbath.
10 The Jews therefore said to him who was cured, "It is the Sabbath; it is not lawful for you to carry your bed."
11 He answered them, "He who made me well said to me, 'Take up your bed and walk' "
12 Then they asked him, "Who is the Man who said to you, 'Take up your bed and walk?' "
13 But the one who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, a multitude being in that place.
14 Afterward Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, "See, you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you."
15 The man departed and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well.
16 For this reason the Jews persecuted Jesus, and sought to kill Him, because He had done these things on the Sabbath.
17 But Jesus answered them, "My Father has been working until now, and I have been working."
(John 7:7-17)
1 Thus the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished.
2 And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done.
3 The God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.
(Genesis 2:1-3)
The Sabbath was made holy because on it, the Lord rested from His work of creation. But in John, Jesus says that God has been working all along, and that He Himself has also been working.
This speaks to me of God, having finished His creation, rested with His creation. His first man and woman, Adam and Eve, were set in a garden where they could simply eat from the trees and in which God would meet with them. Such a picture of peace and rest and contentment.
However, sin entered into our world when Satan tempted Eve. And I believe this quote of Jesus in John is saying that God has been working for redemption of His creation, with Jesus working along with Him and being the Key to God's plan and purpose.
It can be so easy to imagine God as seated on His throne so very far from us, perhaps too far to be touched by what is happening here on earth. There is an interesting song sung by Bette Midler, which I believe is called "From a Distance." I don't remember all of it, but it says that from God's distance from earth, things look so much better than they really are.
Actually, after reading this, I imagine God the Father and His Son here among us all this time, working to accomplish the goal of redemption of His creation.
You might say, "Well, couldn't He just speak a word and change everything." Yes, He could. But then where would be the freedom to choose that He blessed us with? The freedom that allows us to choose Him, to choose to love Him, to choose to obey Him, to choose to follow Him ... or not. And where would be His justice? "The wages of sin are death." For Him to speak a word to undo all the wrong, where does His word stand?
But I also thought about us. What would we learn by His just "fixing" everything with a word?
Satan's lie to Eve was that man could choose better that what God intended for them. If God had spoken that word and undone the sin of Adam and Eve, how would they know, how would we know, that our way isn't best. Would we truly understand what a vast difference there is between God's wisdom and ours? Would we ever understand that God's commandments are not just the legalisms of a domineering sovereign, but rather they are boundaries to protect us?
And so, I believe God has been working toward that day of redemption. Yet, He does so in very subtle ways. All the while allowing man to have his way, and to see where that way leads.
war bloodshed murder pollution hatred selfishness divisions deviousness
plotting abortion - murder of the most innocent
But I believe we also see God at work in those who give, love, sacrifice, heal, teach, rescue, build up, pray, prophesy, and declare the truth. All the while He moves upon hearts and minds, moving us all toward His rescue and rec-creation of all things. Returning His creation because of the finished work of Christ Jesus on the cross, to the perfect rest of that original Sabbath and to that garden life. Even the lion will lie down beside the lamb in peaceful rest.
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